The methods described in this section could be practiced, but have not necessarily been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Computer networks that use routers, switches and other network elements are commonly managed using network management software systems. Examples of network management systems include Resource Management Essentials from Cisco Systems, Inc., San Jose, Calif., HP OpenView from Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, Calif., and others. Such network management systems are commonly used to manage multiple devices with various software components.
One of the shortcomings of these network management software systems is the use of mediation layers to handle multiple types of devices. These layers are responsible for converting data from different types of devices to a common format that can be consumed by the network management systems. As the network management systems manage increasing number of types of devices, the designs of such layers become more complex because of the need to accommodate more conversions. As a result, the operations of the network management systems become less efficient and less stable.
Another shortcoming of these network management software systems is the lack of automatic tracking and managing capabilities for multiple software component versions. Specifically, if a change in a software component version is detected, many such systems require a user of the systems to manually identify other software components that may be affected by the change, discard the outdated versions of the affected components, and download and install appropriate versions of software. In addition, the user often needs to manually shut down and restart the network management software systems for the newly installed software to take effect.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for improved network management methods or systems that overcome the stated drawbacks of the current systems. There is a need to flexibly and effectively manage multiple types of devices and various software component versions.